Stagnant. That's the word that came to mind when I was watching Chicago Med Season 3 Episode 9.

How many times are we going to have to watch Nat and Will wrestle with ethics when dealing with a pregnancy case? Is there anything to April and Choi's relationship other than her attempts to upgrade his emotional empathy chip? Will Ava and Connor ever get around to banging?

At least Sarah got to make some progress in her death march of a story arc. Standing up to that prisoner was a small step, but at least it was movement. 

I am so absolutely sick and tired of Will and Nat dealing with variations on the same case every week. Okay, so there was the girl with the Australian tick, but everything else these two deal with is babies, babies babies. 

We get it. She had a baby, so she's forever put into the role of sancti-mommy. But instead of preaching to the other mommy's on the block about gluten free vegan organic crackers or whatever, she's judging everyone;s medical decisions and constantly skirting malpractice suits. 

I just can't imagine a situation where the only doctors you'd be talking to about your preemie would be the ED docs, or that you'd take their advice over that of the neonatologist.

Will: Natalie, if we were talking about any other terminally ill patient, would you be telling me to prolong life at any cost?
Nat: Of course not.
Will: We should be helping his parents get through this, not making it harder for them.

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Hell, I can't imagine that Nat would actually be able to intubate that infant or manage CPR without breaking his ribs and puncturing his heart. Micro-preemies are a whole different ballgame. There's a reason they're sent to a special unit. 

It was really weird for me to be siding with Will on this case, so I guess at least one thing was different. It may have all worked out in the end for Nat, but she's lucky that this show doesn't focus on the professional relationships of the docs. 

Really, I shouldn't be as annoyed about this case as I am, because it was all so pointless. But I guess that's really what bothers me the most. Nobody learned, nobody grew, nobody changed. So does it even matter what happened?

April and Choi are in a similar situation, except Choi is managing to grow a little bit. I mean, sure, he still has to be pulled around by the ear like a recalcitrant child in order to show any empathy, but, hey, baby steps I guess. 

I mean, that parrot from Chicago Med Season 2 wasn't going to magically solve his emotional repression. No, only the love of a good woman could get Choi in touch with his empathetic side. Gag me. 

Man, I miss that bird. 

You told me, a couple of weeks ago, about your own sister and her struggles. If she came in her needing help, would you hand her over to an agency you knew would only make things worse?

April [to Ethan]

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What I really want to know is this: Why are they still working together? Maggie knows about the relationship, and it feels like HR would have some kind of guideline in place for this kind of situation. 

If nothing else, mixing up the pairings in the ED would jolt the writers out of this rut that they're in. And give us something different to watch. 

Have I mentioned the stagnation? 

How about some new pairings in the ED? Not the romantic variety -- but it would be good for the franchise to have somebody date outside of the hospital. But how about Will and April work on a case together, while Nat works with Sarah? 

Or maybe the attending could actually teach the resident something. That is if Noah ever shows his face again. 

Of course, what I'd really love is for Sam to join the cast permanently and bring his snarkiness to the ED on the regular. And maybe Noah could end up doing some kind of neuro/trauma specialty and Sam could whip him into shape. 

Sadly, it looks like the change of pace that's coming is more peak Law & Order predictability than anything else.

I'm really hoping that somebody from L&O: SVU has stopped by the writers room for a visit, otherwise this "ripped from the headlines" thing on Chicago Med Season 3 Episode 10 is going to be a nightmare. 

I get that it's Dick Wolf's trademark bit, and I'll even admit to loving the crazy mashups that have been borne out of it (Are we ever going to get to see that Trump episode?!?!). But bringing that to Med feels like rebranding. 

Med has been floundering this season (again, see all my thoughts re: stagnation), but there has to be a better way to address this identity crisis. 

But maybe I shouldn't worry. I mean, we've talked about how bad the promos are for Med. Just truly, deeply inaccurate. But that also means that the case that may derail Nat's career will probably be much less important than it's made out to be.

And that's another kind of disappointment. Let's just cross our fingers and hope for the best with Sarah, shall we. Sarah and Dr. Charles always manage to redeem the sins of the others. 

Daniel: You know, the irony is, that guy is so much more scared of you than you are of him.
Sarah: I doubt that.
Daniel: What, are you kidding me? Guy like Hector -- not gonna let you in. A shrink? He's utterly terrified of what you may find, you know, what he might have to face.

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What was your opinion of "On Shaky Ground?"

Were you proud of Sarah's progress or disappointed that Dr. Charles had to point out the obvious to her? Did Choi make the right decision in reporting Deb to DCS? Will Nat and Will ever face a problem at work that impacts their personal relationship?

Sound off in the comments section and share your thoughts! Remember, you can always watch Chicago Med online, and there are past Chicago Med reviews for true Fanatics!

Elizabeth Harlow was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She left the organization in October 2018.